Fear of open spaces is also known as ‘agoraphobia’. Agoraphobia is not really a simple fear of open spaces, but rather a serious condition that develops from untreated panic disorder
Fear of open spaces goes much deeper than simple fear of the spaces themselves Fear of open spaces is truly about fear of being in the open and having a panic attack Agoraphobia develops after panic attacks have been happening regularly for a very long time
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Symptoms of fear of open spaces can be complex and include:
• Fear of crowds
• Avoidance of public transportation
• Bouts of recurring panic
• Fear of leaving a acquainted area
• Fear of leaving home
• Must rely on others heavily
• Loss of social support, isolation.
Agoraphobia is a very extreme version of panic disorder Agoraphobia can be diagnosed with different emotional sicknesses or on its own Common issues that can occur alongside agoraphobia include Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), clinical depression, post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder, and social anxiety disorder
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Anxiety disorders are the foremost commonly diagnosed mental disorders in America nowadays Anxiety disorders account for nearly one third of all money spent on mental health
Agoraphobia is a very debilitating disorder. Agoraphobias can become dependent on others to the point of being totally housebound Standard tasks trigger so much fear that agoraphobics end up doing less and less for themselves.
Agoraphobics typically begin out having panic disorder first Symptoms of panic disorder are many however all center around intense fear, including shortness of breath, tightness or pain within the chest, dizziness, nausea, fear, confusion, and tingling or numbness in the hands, feet, and face.
Panic attacks look a lot like cardiac arrest Multiple ER trips are typically made before victims receive a diagnosis of panic disorder. Physicians have to run tests to tell panic from heart disease
Avoidance is a common strategy for preventing recurring attacks Panic victims may avoid public places completely Avoidance that becomes a habit leads to agoraphobia. Untreated agoraphobia can render a person housebound for years
Successful treatment of agoraphobia is possible however Full recovery is normal Therapy and medication are usually combined to treat agoraphobia
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is almost always used as a part of a treatment strategy. CBT ‘reframes’ perception so the attacks stop naturally
Systematic desensitization is also used to treat agoraphobia. Systematic desensitization slowly exposes the agoraphobic to increasing levels of stressful stimuli Agoraphobics should tolerate the exposure until no fear is felt. Stimuli are then increased again till finally they have no effect.
SSRI medications are the most common class of dreg used to treat agoraphobia. SSRI drug therapy works by regulating the amount of serotonin circulating within the bloodstream.
Serotonin is a natural tranquilizer created in the human body Maintaining healthy levels of serotonin is harder for some people than others for reasons that aren’t yet known
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